Three weeks ago, during the US government shutdown fiasco, and when there was legitimate concern if the US would begin prioritizing debt payments upon running out of cash, China's official and most widely read press agency, Xinhua, slammed the US in "U.S. fiscal failure warrants a de-Americanized world" in which it called for a new world order, and an end to the reserve currency. Now, it is time for the follow up, with China kicking "America the eavesdropper" precisely when it is down.

The latest outburst of outcries and outrage across the world has laid bare that almighty America has at least one other anomalous addiction besides borrowing -- bugging.

The U.S. debt drama features a polarized and paralyzed Washington at the helm of the world's largest economy. As nerve-racking as it is, such irresponsible behavior is a recurrent headache economic policymakers worldwide can bear with.

Yet the sole superpower's spying saga is spicy on a heart-attack scale. It is particularly hurtful to those supposed to trust America the most -- its allies.

The recent cascade of eye-popping disclosures depicts a hyperactive Uncle Sam prying into others' secrets and even eavesdropping on dozens of heads of state.

It has been revealed that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) monitored the phone conservations of at least 35 world leaders in 2006. And that is just a tip of the iceberg of the spook organization's sprawling spying scheme.

Leaked documents show that the NSA has not only gained front-door access to countless Google and Yahoo user accounts through a court-approved process, but secretly broken into the main communications links connecting the two Internet giants' respective data centers around the world to siphon information at will.

What is counterintuitive in the NSA forage is its nonsensical approach: relentless and indiscriminate like a vacuum cleaner. It just bugs everybody, even its closest allies in Europe.

In the most shocking revelation so far, Uncle Sam turned Madame Europa, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, into, as Deutsche Presse-Agentur puts it, "a dupe whose mobile phone conversations were for more than a decade a source of information for U.S. authorities."

Merkel and her peers in the U.S. alliance have every reason to feel insulted and betrayed. At the very least, they deserve the kind of respect and trust that underpins the practice that air travelers do not have to fly naked.

The motivation behind America's extensive eavesdropping is unclear. The explanations the White House has been forced to offer are far from explanatory, and the diorthosis President Barack Obama has promised seems all but skin-deep.

The half-heartedness stands in stark contrast with the pushfulness with which America accuses China of cyber-espionage, and the evasiveness marks a stunning retreat from the straightforwardness with which Washington reproves Beijing for alleged monetary manipulation.

The apparent application of a double standard only reinforces the image of a Janus-faced America. In the sunlight, it preaches; in the dark, it pries. On the offensive, it orates; on the defensive, it equivocates.

The wayward practice has now backfired, and the damage is increasing. Just as the borrowing addiction is shedding America's economic credibility, the bugging obsession is draining its political and security trustworthiness -- only with potentially more destructive consequences.

Trust is the first and foremost casualty. Common sense dictates that trust is a two-way street: One has to trust in order to be trusted. It is particularly true in friendships and alliances. America obviously failed to follow the simple rule.

If Washington did not knit the worldwide wiretapping web just because it could, then its pillage for information unveils an Uncle Sam too deeply entrenched in suspicion and isolation to treat anyone as a real friend.

Ironically enough, the bugging undermines the very thing it is supposed to protect -- national security. As America pins its security on alliances, the tapping tale would sour its relationship with allies -- and thus erode its security bedrock -- more than any terrorist would be capable of.

The harm could go far beyond. For example, mutual trust is vital to China and America's endeavor to build a new type of major-country relations. Washington's lack of trust and hemorrhage of trustworthiness would only make the effort more difficult.

Needless to say, trust entails trade-offs, and the quid pro quos are not riskless. But the United States should be wise enough to know that to trust nobody is no less dangerous than to trust anybody.

As indicated in the still simmering spying scandal, the potential cost of excessive bugging could be way higher. Uncle Sam needs to remember what happened to the tailor in the Lady Godiva story -- Peeping Tom was struck blind.

America's philosophy has always been to preemptively villify other countries of a nasty deed and make sure it is heard everywhere so that no one will suspect us of the same. We then do the same nasty deed bigger, better and exceptionally and on our own citizens.

usa usa usa ..is the drunk boss at the christmas party....it will take alot of asshole behavior before somebody jeopordizes their job and says something....they are now saying something,... if u were wondering where on the map we are at.....

we drone innocents indescriminately, we assassinate world leaders and overthrow legitimate rulers, we pollute the planet with gmo seeds and pesticides, we suppress technology which would allow free energy and a cleaner environment, we addict millions with street and prescription drugs, we defile all of divine nature with our greed and avarice...and the world merely condemns us for covertly listening to them?

Thats becasue we all know that the world just has to sit back and let America destroy itself.....why would Americas enemies want to get invovled, America is shooting itself in the head.......China is playing chess, America is playing Russian Roulette with 6 chambers loaded.

I see more of an argument that the US government will pursue its own ends at its citizens expense, than energy sources are the specifically being "targeted". I also see an unhealthy dose of ideological bias amongst their "pioneers". National Security Letters are used today for ANY technology that might apply to the "war on terror", and some of the technologies cited on that very page are obviously not subject to a NSL or they wouldn't appear on the page.

Intellectual property is a mine field, especially when pursued for profit. And the US has only gotten worse, since the friends of big business aka Demoncrats pushed through the AIA and "First to File."

One of the companies that I distribute for has specifically avoided filing patents for certain industrial chemicals in the US, while simultaneously having to fight off Chinese industrial espionage. If one is specifically trying to avoid the NSL trap, they can always file for IP protection in a jurisdiction outside the US before they file at the US Patent Office.

If some of the "ideas" cited were actually ready for prime time (as opposed to ideas seeking financing for further research) they would have no trouble finding funding- remember that for every provider trying to protect his slice of the oligarchy, there is an oligarch consumer who as an equally strong interest in breaking that oligarchy (and they're both members of the same clubs that the sheeple aren't invited to), some situations are even more complex with single players juggling both the producer and consumer roles-- like KSA, where a huge percentage of their potential "profit" is not realized because such a large share of production is used to meet internal demand.

In short- if you are an inventor pushing energy access don't get into bed with the US or Russians, chose the EU or China. If you're trying to make a quick buck doing it pass on the Chinese. Regardless, get professional help, and not some ambulance-chaser-cum-patent-troll shyster, someone who plays this game at the international level-- after all Oak Ridge is more than happy to turn over everything they have on Thorium (you might have actually go there and request it in person - gasp) because the Chinese and French pried that door open, and are now running with the data.

Unlike Americans who barely know what is happening in their own country, the average Chinese are aware that as they emerge from the dark ages of Mao, and recognize that they are not currently "free," they also understand that as they do gain more and more freedom, Americans are losing theirs. The irony of the trend is not lost on them.

Not just envious but premonitorily gleeful... I would not be surprised if there is a clique somewhere in the Congress or the frustrated brass hatted admin., Tea party drunk or otherwise spooked red hot in MiC, trying to concoct a "Night of the long knives" to these current "brown shirts"..."Now we won't the only mugs in history to get outmugged by black shirted thugs!"

Shoot, but does history ryhme big time!

Its enuff to make me gulp my wine!

PS : I concur on the view expressed on that unpronounceable word I call Dorothy's ISis complex!

Why so worried? everything is in good hands, someone reported, on this site, that everything goes to Iran, or someplace over there,first, and after they get what they want they send the rest back, so it must be good for them too! Right?

First, let's remember that Nations don't have friends. Nations only have interests.

Having said that, this was an exceptionally well written article. I could not have said better myself....even had to look up diorthosis. The fools we have elected to lead us seem happiest when poisoning wells and painting themselves into corners.

"the diorthosis President Barack Obama has promised seems all but skin-deep."

For you undereducated Amerkins, it means amendment, improvement, reformation, plus others. The sad fact is Chinese English speakers speak better English than the average Amerkin, as do most European English speakers.

While righteous in light of America's continuing condemnation of Chinese cyber warfare and monetization policies, it misses the point by couching it strictly in national security terms. In corporatist/fascist America, the NSA actions tilt the commercial playing field to American corporations' benefit.

Sure, the economy is globalized, but Washington is still the center of power in the world. I would argue that Obama and his many minions would not have power without the corporations, media and banks. I doubt Obama considers his position of power as mere "crumbs." Nor do I.

Indeed. No one said it was a good long-term strategy, but corporate boards have quarterly time frames and politicians think in terms of 2, 4, or 6 years, and they all seem to escape with their money and their fame intact while leaving the future to fend for itself. Who of them give a shit about the future when there is money to be made and agendas to be pushed NOW?

What makes the international community think that a government which isn't concerned about flagrantly violating the 4th amendment to its own constitution and spying on every one of its own citizens would be at all concerned about spying on them?

Maybe "they" have a fear of those who are "in the know" on other controversial matters ( over the years), and a fear of whoever knows who should not and who may have already divulged their knowledge outside of the accepted boundaries and to whom, or who knows and will attempt to use that knowledge as leverage or influence.
The level of paranoia must be extreme when the lies and deception are so big and the actions so controversial, and contrary to the beliefs of the average citizen. A bigger Bamboozle than anyone ever had imaged or considered.

What does Big Bro fear? That some thing, some where will sprout, metastasize and destroy them. Big Bro's enemies could sprout within or without. Big Bro believes his Central plans are flawless, but awakes at night with nightmarish doubts. Their paranoia breeds more paranoia. Part of the Ministry of Truth believes that Big Bro's words are believed, and part doubts. Big Bro knows deep within that none of them are really uebermenschen. They fear other real uebermenschen exist. Big Bro, like Herod, must destroy them before they grow.

You are being watched. The government has a secret system, a machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it. I designed the Machine to detect acts of terror but it sees everything. Violent crimes involving ordinary people. People like you. Crimes the government considered "irrelevant." They wouldn't act so I decided I would. But I needed a partner. Someone with the skills to intervene. Hunted by the authorities, we work in secret. You'll never find us. But victim or perpetrator, if your number is up, we'll find you.

"Merkel and her peers in the U.S. alliance have every reason to feel insulted and betrayed. At the very least, they deserve the kind of respect and trust that underpins the practice that air travelers do not have to fly naked."

At any rate, someone needs to get a China a new English dictionary. Until they get the new dictionary I would like to suggest other ways to refer to Obama without using a noun to describe another noun. This a free service.

"Worthless piece of scum sucking shit"

"Cock sucking banker's bitch"

"Freeloading fascist bastard"

"No good son of a bitch"

"God damned lying prick"

"Enormous asshole"

These are just a few examples of how to properly refer to Obama that the Chinese media can use on the interim. I am sure that ZHers can add many more examples of proper usage of the English language to refer to Obama.

Completely understand your anxiety and frustration over the new Chinese definition as I was scratching my head and raised an eyebrow when I caught that word as well.

But guess what? We may be needing to get with the program as that dictionary may have a slew of new words in it we may need to learn from now on with Merriam/Webster being and Asian concern from here on out -thanks to the cocksuckers in Washington who gave it all away, and in turn give you and me an assault rifle to threaten them with over some land in Africa!

"One has to trust in order to be trusted. It is particularly true in friendships and alliances. America obviously failed to follow the simple rule. If Washington did not knit the worldwide wiretapping web just because it could, then its pillage for information unveils an Uncle Sam too deeply entrenched in suspicion and isolation to treat anyone as a real friend."...

This is what always happens when the balance of power stays in the hands of a select few for too long who grow only more complacent, narcissistic and drunk with power over time treating trust as a handicap of imperfection and "weakness", instead of the most important basic necessity of the moral virtues there is.

What makes it worse is when this level of complacency dominates the culture or personality to the point that it becomes rational behavior by those who perceive themselves as “in charge”.This ironically from a deadbeat nation who is no longer economically viable and indiscriminately projects it’s power to get what it wants.

To the “imperfect” and “weak”: Time to roll up those sleeves and be counted.

The really 'spooky' part of this is that with Snowden still not 'silenced by the CIA' the White House is neither coming clean on everything, nor denying anything. They are forced to live with this trickle of leaks because the one thing they fear is to say something and then have Snowden leak proof the next day that they are lying.